The growth would be at the middle-level anywhere between 10 – 20 per cent. However, cost is manageable overall, as it averages out with growth in responsibility and promotions and replacement of pool of natural exits with low-cost, highly capable resources. Main focus of HR talent pool team is the same.

Is the job market conducive for fresh graduates?

Yes! Fresh graduates must be more rounded in inter personal skills and effective communication.

Start time must be quick, as competitiveness is intensifying and companies would no longer have the luxury of pooling resources and run through preparatory stages of training and hand holding. This is especially going to be true for tier II and mid caps.

Have the effects of recession (lay offs, closing units, pay cuts etc.) faded for IT companies?

As the market has opened up, companies are realising growth in business with active engagements on delivery and marketing. Employees have come around now, working on their efficiencies and are very forward looking.

What, according to you, is the biggest challenge in the growth of IT industry?

Ability to quickly respond to changes in the market, especially on service business, and being contemporary, is the greatest challenge. Human resources have to be motivated, as they are key assets for growth.

Where do you see this industry headed in the next two years?

On the growth track and delivering a lot from India using technology.

How many hirings do you foresee this year? Does your company also go for campus recruitments?

We have focused more on middle and senior management recruitment, especially through executive programme of top two IIMs namely Ahmedabad and Calcutta. Entry-level recruitment would be 1.5 to 2 times more than what we did last year. For a company of our size, numbers may not be so significant compared to fitment with strategy.

What initiatives does your company take to ensure skill building of new employees?

We have a tie up with specialised trainers for skill development. Annual plans for training and induction are rolled out in the budget, and this year we have more allocations, which would be close to 3 per cent of our employee costs.

Tell us about some initiatives your company takes towards employee satisfaction and motivation.

Quality of work and growth in stature are what budding leaders look for and we focus on the same. We empower employees by giving them complete responsibility and encourage individual initiatives, especially from team lead to project manager levels.

Does you company offer job rotation and/or training programs on the job?

Yes, as it is critical for evolving the crop of leaders within the organisation to meet growing demand for highly competent and aggressive profiles.

What are the future expansion plans in next five years? Are any mergers/acquisitions or global tie-ups in picture?

We expect to grow organically at around 30 to 40 per cent in the next five years. We are open to acquisitions especially in domains where we are currently, namely SCM and life sciences. Our openness, of course, will be to complement gaps in terms of market or product / service extensions.